Antiquities Book 7, Chapter 2
That Upon The Slaughter Of Ishbosheth By The Treachery Of His Friends, David Received The Whole Kingdom.
1. When Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, had heard of the death of Abner, he
took it to heart to be deprived of a man that was of his kindred, and
had indeed given him the kingdom, but was greatly afflicted, and Abner's
death very much troubled him; nor did he himself outlive any long time,
but was treacherously set upon by the sons of Rimmon, [Baanah and Rechab
were their names,] and was slain by them; for these being of a family of
the Benjamites, and of the first rank among them, thought that if they
should slay Ishbosheth, they should obtain large presents from David,
and be made commanders by him, or, however, should have some other trust
committed to them. So when they once found him alone, and asleep at
noon, in an upper room, when none of his guards were there, and when the
woman that kept the door was not watching, but was fallen asleep also,
partly on account of the labor she had undergone, and partly on account
of the heat of the day, these men went into the room in which
Ishbosheth, Saul's son, lay asleep, and slew him; they also cut off his
head, and took their journey all that night, and the next day, as
supposing themselves flying away from those they had injured, to one
that would accept of this action as a favor, and would afford them
security. So they came to Hebron, and showed David the head of
Ishbosheth, and presented themselves to him as his well-wishers, and
such as had killed one that was his enemy and antagonist. Yet David did
not relish what they had done as they expected, but said to them, "You
vile wretches, you shall immediately receive the punishment you deserve.
Did not you know what vengeance I executed on him that murdered Saul,
and brought me his crown of gold, and this while he who made this
slaughter did it as a favor to him, that he might not be caught by his
enemies? Or do you imagine that I am altered in my disposition, and
suppose that I am not the same man I then was, but am pleased with men
that are wicked doers, and esteem your vile actions, when you are become
murderers of your master, as grateful to me, when you have slain a
righteous man upon his bed, who never did evil to any body, and treated
you with great good-will and respect? Wherefore you shall suffer the
punishment due on his account, and the vengeance I ought to inflict upon
you for killing Ishbosheth, and for supposing that I should take his
death kindly at your hands; for you could not lay a greater blot on my
honor, than by making such a supposal." When David had said this, he
tormented them with all sorts of torments, and then put them to death;
and he bestowed all accustomed rites on the burial of the head of
Ishbosheth, and laid it in the grave of Abner.
2. When these things were brought to this conclusion, all the principal
men of the Hebrew people came to David to Hebron, with the heads of
thousands, and other rulers, and delivered themselves up to him, putting
him in mind of the good-will they had borne to him in Saul's lifetime,
and the respect they then had not ceased to pay him when he was captain
of a thousand, as also that he was chosen of God by Samuel the prophet,
he and his sons; 2 and declaring besides, how God had given him power to
save the land of the Hebrews, and to overcome the Philistines. Whereupon
he received kindly this their alacrity on his account; and exhorted them
to continue in it, for that they should have no reason to repent of
being thus disposed to him. So when he had feasted them, and treated
them kindly, he sent them out to bring all the people to him; upon which
came to him about six thousand and eight hundred armed men of the tribe
of Judah, who bare shields and spears for their weapons, for these had
[till now] continued with Saul's son, when the rest of the tribe of
Judah had ordained David for their king. There came also seven thousand
and one hundred out of the tribe of Simeon. Out of the tribe of Levi
came four thousand and seven hundred, having Jehoiada for their leader.
After these came Zadok the high priest, with twenty-two captains of his
kindred. Out of the tribe of Benjamin the armed men were four thousand;
but the rest of the tribe continued, still expecting that some one of
the house of Saul should reign over them. Those of the tribe of Ephraim
were twenty thousand and eight hundred, and these mighty men of valor,
and eminent for their strength. Out of the half tribe of Manasseh came
eighteen thousand, of the most potent men. Out of the tribe of Issachar
came two hundred, who foreknew what was to come hereafter, 3 but of
armed men twenty thousand. Of the tribe of Zebulon fifty thousand chosen
men. This was the only tribe that came universally in to David, and all
these had the same weapons with the tribe of Gad. Out of the tribe of
Naphtali the eminent men and rulers were one thousand, whose weapons
were shields and spears, and the tribe itself followed after, being [in
a manner] innumerable [thirty- seven thousand]. Out of the tribe of Dan
there were of chosen men twenty-seven thousand and six hundred. Out of
the tribe of Asher were forty thousand. Out of the two tribes that were
beyond Jordan, and the rest of the tribe of Manasseh, such as used
shields, and spears, and head-pieces, and swords, were a hundred and
twenty thousand. The rest of the tribes also made use of swords. This
multitude came together to Hebron to David, with a great quantity of
corn, and wine, and all other sorts of food, and established David in
his kingdom with one consent. And when the people had rejoiced for three
days in Hebron, David and all the people removed and came to Jerusalem.
took it to heart to be deprived of a man that was of his kindred, and
had indeed given him the kingdom, but was greatly afflicted, and Abner's
death very much troubled him; nor did he himself outlive any long time,
but was treacherously set upon by the sons of Rimmon, [Baanah and Rechab
were their names,] and was slain by them; for these being of a family of
the Benjamites, and of the first rank among them, thought that if they
should slay Ishbosheth, they should obtain large presents from David,
and be made commanders by him, or, however, should have some other trust
committed to them. So when they once found him alone, and asleep at
noon, in an upper room, when none of his guards were there, and when the
woman that kept the door was not watching, but was fallen asleep also,
partly on account of the labor she had undergone, and partly on account
of the heat of the day, these men went into the room in which
Ishbosheth, Saul's son, lay asleep, and slew him; they also cut off his
head, and took their journey all that night, and the next day, as
supposing themselves flying away from those they had injured, to one
that would accept of this action as a favor, and would afford them
security. So they came to Hebron, and showed David the head of
Ishbosheth, and presented themselves to him as his well-wishers, and
such as had killed one that was his enemy and antagonist. Yet David did
not relish what they had done as they expected, but said to them, "You
vile wretches, you shall immediately receive the punishment you deserve.
Did not you know what vengeance I executed on him that murdered Saul,
and brought me his crown of gold, and this while he who made this
slaughter did it as a favor to him, that he might not be caught by his
enemies? Or do you imagine that I am altered in my disposition, and
suppose that I am not the same man I then was, but am pleased with men
that are wicked doers, and esteem your vile actions, when you are become
murderers of your master, as grateful to me, when you have slain a
righteous man upon his bed, who never did evil to any body, and treated
you with great good-will and respect? Wherefore you shall suffer the
punishment due on his account, and the vengeance I ought to inflict upon
you for killing Ishbosheth, and for supposing that I should take his
death kindly at your hands; for you could not lay a greater blot on my
honor, than by making such a supposal." When David had said this, he
tormented them with all sorts of torments, and then put them to death;
and he bestowed all accustomed rites on the burial of the head of
Ishbosheth, and laid it in the grave of Abner.
2. When these things were brought to this conclusion, all the principal
men of the Hebrew people came to David to Hebron, with the heads of
thousands, and other rulers, and delivered themselves up to him, putting
him in mind of the good-will they had borne to him in Saul's lifetime,
and the respect they then had not ceased to pay him when he was captain
of a thousand, as also that he was chosen of God by Samuel the prophet,
he and his sons; 2 and declaring besides, how God had given him power to
save the land of the Hebrews, and to overcome the Philistines. Whereupon
he received kindly this their alacrity on his account; and exhorted them
to continue in it, for that they should have no reason to repent of
being thus disposed to him. So when he had feasted them, and treated
them kindly, he sent them out to bring all the people to him; upon which
came to him about six thousand and eight hundred armed men of the tribe
of Judah, who bare shields and spears for their weapons, for these had
[till now] continued with Saul's son, when the rest of the tribe of
Judah had ordained David for their king. There came also seven thousand
and one hundred out of the tribe of Simeon. Out of the tribe of Levi
came four thousand and seven hundred, having Jehoiada for their leader.
After these came Zadok the high priest, with twenty-two captains of his
kindred. Out of the tribe of Benjamin the armed men were four thousand;
but the rest of the tribe continued, still expecting that some one of
the house of Saul should reign over them. Those of the tribe of Ephraim
were twenty thousand and eight hundred, and these mighty men of valor,
and eminent for their strength. Out of the half tribe of Manasseh came
eighteen thousand, of the most potent men. Out of the tribe of Issachar
came two hundred, who foreknew what was to come hereafter, 3 but of
armed men twenty thousand. Of the tribe of Zebulon fifty thousand chosen
men. This was the only tribe that came universally in to David, and all
these had the same weapons with the tribe of Gad. Out of the tribe of
Naphtali the eminent men and rulers were one thousand, whose weapons
were shields and spears, and the tribe itself followed after, being [in
a manner] innumerable [thirty- seven thousand]. Out of the tribe of Dan
there were of chosen men twenty-seven thousand and six hundred. Out of
the tribe of Asher were forty thousand. Out of the two tribes that were
beyond Jordan, and the rest of the tribe of Manasseh, such as used
shields, and spears, and head-pieces, and swords, were a hundred and
twenty thousand. The rest of the tribes also made use of swords. This
multitude came together to Hebron to David, with a great quantity of
corn, and wine, and all other sorts of food, and established David in
his kingdom with one consent. And when the people had rejoiced for three
days in Hebron, David and all the people removed and came to Jerusalem.